New Zealand climbs in ranking of business events destinations

13 May 2014

Knowledge of New Zealand as a business events destination is at an all-time high - with New Zealand ranking 51st in the International Conference and Convention Association's (ICCA) annual country and city rankings.

New Zealand's ranking as a destination for hosting business events is up four places on the previous year and sits just outside the world's top 50.

ICCA is the global association for the meetings industry and its annual report compares destinations' meetings-related performance on a global scale.

Tourism New Zealand's International Business Events Manager Bjoern Spritzer says, "This is an encouraging result for a country of our size and a real testament to New Zealand's recent investment in and commitment to developing the business events sector over the past years.

"In 2013 New Zealand hosted 48 international events - an increase on the previous year and a trend we want to continue.

"And it is great to see such a wide spread of regions hosting international events. While the main centres of Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington and Christchurch still feature heavily, this year sees the inclusion of regions such as Hamilton, the Bay of Islands, Nelson and a significant increase for Dunedin."

The report factors in the number of events hosted by each country and city. The more international conferences and events hosted, the higher the potential ranking.

TNZ's management of the Conference Assistance Programme has seen New Zealand bid for 33 events over the last financial year, securing seven international events to date.

"With these results we are confident that the '100% Pure New Zealand - Naturally Beyond Convention' marketing campaign is effectively positioning New Zealand as a compelling destination for international conferences and events," says Bjoern.

"While our campaign communicates New Zealand's fantastic landscapes, welcoming hosts and world class venues, an additional focus is on talking directly to those sectors that New Zealand can deliver expertise and leadership to the rest of the world in.